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&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LI&&RThe Prince and Other Writings&&L/I&&R, by &&LB&&RNiccolo Machiavelli&&L/B&&R, is part of the &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R&&LI&&R &&L/I&&Rseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R: &&LDIV&&R

• New introductions commissioned from todays top writers and scholars
• Biographies of the authors
• Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events
• Footnotes and endnotes
• Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work
• Comments by other famous authors
• Study questions to challenge the readers viewpoints and expectations
• Bibliographies for further reading
• Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate

All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/I&&Rpulls together a constellation of influences--biographical, historical, and literary--to enrich each readers understanding of these enduring works.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R &&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&ROne of history's greatest political philosophers, &&LB&&RNiccol Machiavelli&&L/B&&R is notorious for his treatise &&LI&&RThe Prince&&L/I&&R, which has become a cornerstone of modern political theory. Written in 1513 and published in 1532, after Machivelli's death, &&LI&&RThe Prince&&L/I&&R immediately provoked controversy that has continued unabated to this day. &&LBR&&R&&LBR&&RDefining human nature as inherently selfish, Machiavelli proposes that social conflict and violence are natural phenomena that help determine the ablest, most versatile form of government. Asserting that idealism has no place in the political arena, &&LI&&RThe Prince&&L/I&&R primarily addresses a monarch's difficulties in retaining authority. Considered the first expression of political realism, it has often been accused of advocating a political philosophy in which "the end justifies the means." Indeed the emphasis in &&LI&&RThe Prince&&L/I&&R on practical success, at the expense even of traditional moral values, earned Machiavelli a reputation for ruthlessness, deception, and cruelty. Many scholars contend, however, that the author's pragmatic views of ethics and politics reflected the realities of his time, as exemplified by the Medici family of Florence. &&LBR&&R&&LBR&&RDebates about Machiavelli's theories are as lively today as they were 450 years ago, but no one questions the importance of his fundamental contribution to Western political thought. This newly translated edition also includes Machiavelli's &&LI&&RLetter to Francesco Vettori&&L/I&&R, &&LI&&RThe Life of Castruccio Castracani&&L/I&&R, and excerpts from the &&LI&&RDiscourses on Livy&&L/I&&R.&&LBR&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&R&&LSTRONG&&RWayne A. Rebhorn&&L/B&&R&&L/B&&R, Celanese Centennial Professor of English at the University of Texas, has authored numerous studies of Renaissance European literature. His &&LI&&RFoxes and Lions: Machiavelli's Confidence Men&&L/I&&R won the Howard R. Marraro Prize of the Modern Language Association of America in 1990. &&L/P&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R.